What kind of computer are you using?

Allen Grimes

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Just curious what kind of computer everybody is using. I've used PCs my whole life but I am planning on switching over to a Mac when the new OS comes out this fall. I have been studying up on them a lot lately, and Macs just seem to suit my work style more than PCs do.

I will probably install Vista at some point as well though to take advantage of the Windows only apps and ofcourse, the video games. Right now, I am using Windows XP and I wish everyday that it was OSX.

So what are you using, and what OS do you have running your computer? Also, while we are on the subject, what design software do you use, if any. Besides SketchUp, that is.


EDIT: I just realized that this could easily turn into an argument over which OS is better, so before that happens, I just wanted to say, that I didn't make this with the intent of debating the OSs I just want to know what everybody is using.
 
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HI Allen. My system is a home brew. The major components are

Intel motherboard with 925 chip set and a 3.1 Ghz Intel processor.
1 GB of Crucial memory.
Video card is an ATI V3100, PCI Express.
Adaptec 160 scsi card.
Seagate 34 GB scsi drive.

Audio and ethernet are on the motherboard.

510 Watt PC Power & Cooling power supply.

The case is a tall tower that is now housing its second power supply and third motherboard.

Windows XP Pro with all recommended maintenance.

LOML's system is a Dell with Windows media edition installed.

In the past, I have had up to 5 scsi disks in the system. In addition to windows I have had OpenBSD, FreeBSD, RedHat Linux, Bos spinning. The only disk powered up now is the Windows XP. Since I retired, my interest in the Unix world is faded away.

The reason I run Windows XP is that it is the de facto standard, like it or not. I don't have to worry about software compatibility.
 
My main computer is one that I built and I installed Mandriva Linux on it. I have been using Mandriva, formally Mandrake, for about five or six years now and really like it. I use it ninety eight percent of the time. I have a back up HP Pavilion that has XP on it. I just started it up recently to put SketchUp and Cutlis Plus on it. That is probably all that I will use it for unless I find another app that I need that will not run on Linux.

For me there are some huge advantages to running a good Linux distro but if you are not going to do that I think that Mac could be a good choice.

I had to come back and add that all is not easy when you start with Linux. There are some things that will drive you crazy until you learn what you need to do to get around the problems then most things are very easy but some are impossible. Most of the problems are created by guess who.

I guess that like Ken said, if you want it really easy you have to go along with Mr. Big.
 
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Dell Dimension 2350, about four years old. Longest I have ever had one computer last. It is a P4, 2.2, 512 ram and 30 giggers in the hard drive. I have had great success with Dell products and consider them the best value on the market. Only downside is that I have to speak with people who dunna talka da unglesh velly gud when using tech support.
 
I have run PC based machines since my Atari ST bit the dust....and was ready to make the move to Mac until this last few days.

I have been interviewing schools for my own entrance into a "higher learning" institute! Quite the experience.

My intent is to return to school and get a degree in Digital Design/ Graphics and I fully expected the classes to be based on the Mac platform....none of the 7 schools I talked to required Mac and only 2 had programs that could be completed on either one!

So, guess I'll just continue with this tired old PC with some upgrades....but, those upgrades will not include Vista!

Doug
 
I forgot to mention that I have a toshiba laptop and that it is 5+ years old. It is also my longest lasting PC and even though it dies everynow and then and I have to find new and creative ways to bring it back to life, I do think that it will last me until I get a new computer and beyond.

I also wanted to point out that when I get a Mac, I wont be giving up Windows, I will just be using it as my secondary OS. If I had to choose between one or the other, Im not so sure I would get a Mac. I may still, but I can't say for certain. That said, I dont have to choose since Macs can now run Windows.

My only real problem with Macs is that they don't support the new high-end graphics cards that are necessary to run DX10. I am hoping that that will change in the future though.

To Doug, I am curious, why don't you plan on upgrading to Vista? Is there a specific reason or do you just not see a need?
 
I'm using an HP laptop right now, bout a year old, can't remember all the specifics offhand as they don't seem to matter as much as they used to. This one is a dual boot with the XP that came on it and PClinuxOS, which I use about 95% of the time. Used to use linux/UNIX a lot at work, and the habit stuck, especially when it came to plugging mine into their network. I've got two other laptops, both about '98 vintage, one running Suse 9.1 and the other running DSL 3.2, the first one I left in Tucson for a backup for my parents, the second is my backup here.

I don't use any design software, finding a pencil and notebook far preferable.
 
Dell with Windows XP. We use Macs and Solaris machines at work but I don't find an advantage at home. That's just me.
 
My main computer is one that I built and I installed Mandriva Linux on it. I have been using Mandriva, formally Mandrake, for about five or six years now and really like it. I use it ninety eight percent of the time. I have a back up HP Pavilion that has XP on it. I just started it up recently to put SketchUp and Cutlis Plus on it. That is probably all that I will use it for unless I find another app that I need that will not run on Linux.

Allen, I used to use Mandrake, but about 3 years ago when I upgraded my home box I ran into problems with drivers and switched over to Ubuntu. Wow, I love it. This Linux is the closest to an "It Just Works" experience that I'd ever found.

ETA: oh yeah... and have you checked out CrossOver Linujx? For $60 it may just let you run those win apps under linux, so you won't need another box.

I have run PC based machines since my Atari ST bit the dust....

Wow, another one! I had an Atari ST... oh 15-17 years ago... but I eventually realized that it (the company) was dieing and moved on.



As for now...

... at work I have a 20" iMac (pre-intel) on my desk. Love that big screen, and love that it is Unix underneath. Also have a 12" PowerBook G4 - great portability there for moving around the building when I need to remotely diagnose something.

... at home I have a generic whitebox AMD system running Ubuntu Linux. My wife who is NOT a geek is very happing with the Mac Mini I bought her almost 2 years ago. She lets me use it every now and then ;) when I need to run SketchUp or Budget. Oh and I also brought home an ancient 5yr old Sony laptop that was no longer in use at work. It came with Win2000, and was dog-slow. But with Ubuntu on it, it 's performance is tolerable. It may see service as a kids tool, or just sit there as a backup system.
 
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Have a Toshiba lap top, Verzion wireless, about a year now.
Before that had a home brew that was in another room.

I will always have a lap top from now on. Love it!!!
 
Allen, I used to use Mandrake, but about 3 years ago when I upgraded my home box I ran into problems with drivers and switched over to Ubuntu. Wow, I love it. This Linux is the closest to an "It Just Works" experience that I'd ever found.

That is good to know information. Thanks!!!

ETA: oh yeah... and have you checked out CrossOver Linujx? For $60 it may just let you run those win apps under linux, so you won't need another box.

I tried CrossOver a couple of years ago but it did not work well for me. I found it tried to be invasive, like all of Microsoft's stuff, and the apps were limited. Maybe it is better now.
 
I'm pretty much locked into Windows due to my work...we make PC software. Running XP on two home-brew machines at home and one Dell at the office. The parts have arrived at the office for my next machine there (a dual core hotrod of some sort), but the IT guys haven't put it together for me yet. Like it or not I need to be pretty familiar with all the Windows flavors, including Vista, and the new box will be my Vista machine.

I've played with Linux a little bit, but found the command line operations to be very non-intuitive to me. (And I like command line operating systems...VMS is my favorite among them.) And as I mentioned, I'm locked into Windows due to work, so it didn't make sense to hinder myself by running Linux and trying to find other ways to do what I need to do. (Plus, essentially none of the tools I use daily are available for Linux.)

For someone who's not locked into the MS stuff as much as I am, it seems the Mac would be a good choice, as would be Linux if you like to do a bit of tinkering.
 
For what its worth Vaughn, I rarely use command line operations on my current set up, and then its usually only to find a process number to kill it, most of the time the OS does it for me though. For day to day surfing and word/photo processing, most distros have really gotten to be much like windows. Or perhaps more accurately, much like mac's!
 
Custom shop built, based on a AMD motherboard.
Purchased at a computer shop in town.
Running win XP Pro

Same thing in the house. Same dude built it. Its 6 years old now, never a problem. But it doesn't get used like this one in the shop.
 
My main computer is an Apple PowerMac, Dual 2Ghz G5 processors, 3Gb Ram, dual 160gb HD running OS X Tiger. It's fast, reliable, drives a 20" Apple Cinema Monitor and a 15" Apple monitor.





One I use alot is a 17" iMac, 2Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2gb RAM running OS X Tiger, and via Parallels VM, running Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux (just learning Linux).




My PC is a Sony VAIO notebook, 1.66Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2Gb RAM, 160Gb HD, running Vista Ultimate. I'm also learning Vista.

My first Mac was a 512KE, which I still have.
 
Newest is the one I built for the wife for her studio. Intel 945 MB with Intel 830 dual core processor, small (40?) GB HD, 1 GB Corsair matched memory running XP Home.
Mine is an A-Open AX6BC MB running a PIII 600 I built like 6-8 years ago??? Don't remember for sure. 13 GB HD and roughly 256 MB Corsair memory. Running Win 2000 Professional.
I recently brought home some throw away computer parts from work and rebuilt my wife's old AX6BC MB, PIII 450 and 128 MB memory (Kingston?) and her old 13 GB HD to run her music games that won't load on XP. This one runs Win 98.
And a bare bones Celeron from the throw away parts that I will probably use in the shop one of these days if Mom and Dad don't want it. I have 2000 loaded on it, and it has a 10GB HD. Both of the these last ones had 17" Dell monitors that actually work pretty nicely.
Nothing blazing here, but have found so far the they have been constant performers. Jim.
 
Self built PC
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor
Gigabyte Nvidia 3 Ultra socket 939 mobo
2 gigs DDR
ATI X1600 Pro 256 mb graphics card
IDE ATA 100 180 gig hd
Sata 150 200 gig hd
LG DVD/CD burner
LG 19" LCD monitor
WinXP Pro sp2

Trying to dual boot PC with Kubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn but it doesn't like my ATI graphics card... :huh: not too familiar with compiling kernels etc. researching trying to learn...


Laptop
HP DV8120ca
2 ghz AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile Processor ML-37
1 gig DDR
ATI RADEON XPRESS 200M IGP with 128MB DDR (dedicated)
17" WXGA+ High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display
160GB (5400RPM) Dual HDD- 80GB x 2
54g, 802.11 b/g WLAN
LightScribe 8X DVD±RW and CD-RW Combo Drive
WinXP Home sp2


Networked Brother MFC 420cn and HP 920c printers
Linksys Wireless N router
Motorola cable modem
10 Mbps down, 940 Kbps up

Son also has AMD PC and Acer Ferrari laptop
Both running WinXP pro sp2
 

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For what its worth Vaughn, I rarely use command line operations on my current set up, and then its usually only to find a process number to kill it, most of the time the OS does it for me though. For day to day surfing and word/photo processing, most distros have really gotten to be much like windows. Or perhaps more accurately, much like mac's!
I agree...I don't go into command line stuff very often anymore. The last distro I played with was Mandrake, about 4 years ago, and it had a decent UI, and I know things have improved since then. I keep telling myself I need to install it as a second boot on my spare computer, just to try things out and learn. It's been a matter of having the free time to do it. Still, for my main production (at both the office and home), I'm pretty tied into MS Office, for better or worse, and the open source alternatives just don't have the compatibility with other tools that I need. If LOML was more interested in web surfing and such, I'd put together a spare machine for her and load it with Linux, just so we both could learn. (She's pretty inexperienced with any OS, so I suspect I could set up Linux in a simple way and she'd learn it easier than Windows.)
 
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